The Dallas Cowboys reportedly have their first interview lined up after Mike McCarthy and the Cowboys parted ways this week. The Cowboys plan to interview former Jets head coach Robert Saleh. What is Jerry’s reasoning for this, and would Saleh coaching the Cowboys be a good fit?

The Cowboys decided to hire Mike McCarthy back in 2020 and mentioned his previous head coaching experience as alluring, not wanting to hire a first-time head coach. Jerry Jones could go the same route this time and restrict his search to former head coaches rather than giving a coordinator his first opportunity.

Saleh is a former head coach, but you could hardly say he was successful. Saleh was fired midseason this year with a 2-3 record and a 20-36 overall record as Jets head coach. Several factors for the Jets’ struggles the last couple of years include the Aaron Rodgers 2023 injury and the quarterback’s influence on the roster. However, the Jets’ defense is intriguing to see how good they were in previous seasons, along with utilizing young weapons like Breece Hall and Garrett Wilson when healthy.

Saleh is also the former San Fransisco 49ers defensive coordinator. We tend to think of the Kyle Shanahan tree as offensive guys for innovative strategies and motions, but the 49ers are a top-tier defensive team and were during Saleh’s tenure from 2017-2020. The 49ers made it to Super Bowl LIV in 2020, losing to the Kansas City Chiefs, but that trip was on the back of Saleh’s defense. With concerns of Jimmy Garopollo and Raheem Mostert as the lead quarterback and running back, Saleh’s defense ranked second in yards allowed that season and kept quarterbacks to a league-low 2,707 passing yards in 2020.

While Saleh has playoff experience as a defensive coordinator, he has none as a head coach, missing the postseason with the New York Jets all three seasons and getting fired in the middle of his fourth year. The reason Mike McCarthy had a shorter lease on him was a 1-3 playoff record after three consecutive 12-win seasons. The team wants playoff success and it’s unknown if Saleh would provide that success if given the opportunity to coach in meaningful playoff games.

Another factor in this is the Rooney Rule. When McCarthy was hired, the Cowboys interviewed him and former Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis. The Rooney Rule is in place, in its good nature, to provide opportunities for minority head coaches. Teams must interview at least one for a head coaching vacancy. Robert Saleh, whether he is a serious candidate or not, does satisfy the Rooney Rule. Obviously, Jerry Jones only knows the intent of hiring Saleh and this might be to cover their bases and get to the candidates they’re strongly considering. This isn’t what the Rooney Rule was intended for, but it is a loophole the NFL should aim to modify in the near future.

Suppose Saleh’s interview is to solely clear the Rooney Rule. This makes you wonder if the team is considering other candidates like Colorado head coach Deion Sanders or Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, both of whom have been rumored or linked on the web in the last 48 hours to this opening.

Am I personally impressed with Saleh’s head coaching resume? Not in the slightest. It feels like a major setback when considering Mike McCarthy’s regular season record since 2021 and Robert Saleh’s record since taking over as the Jets head coach. That’s the issue when you move on from a successful coach like McCarthy, is it could feel like a major setback, which is what players like Cowboys defensive end Micah Parsons has expressed on his podcast.

I would like to see Saleh in a defensive coordinator role in the NFL before he gets another opportunity to be a head coach. Some are better coordinators than coaches, but 2025 is not the year to experiment with Robert Saleh as a head coach.

In terms of scheme fit, I would not want Saleh to take over as the defensive coordinator either. Saleh’s teams are very zone-heavy and the Cowboys personnel have proven they are a man-to-man defense. The Cowboys got torched 40-7 to the Green Bay Packers in the 2023 wild card game because they switched from man to zone defense. Seeing the roster constructed, especially at the cornerback position, I would hate to see Dallas move away from man-to-man defense and force a zone defense on players who don’t fit that style.

What would you think about hiring Robert Saleh as the Dallas Cowboys head coach this year? Let us know in the comments down below.